Join us as we explore diverse musical catalogues of mammals, birds, insects, and fishes for piano and voice that reflect nature’s astounding abundance.

Jake Heggie, Charles Ives, Samuel Barber, Rebecca Clarke, and Alberto Ginastera sketch different portraits of felines. Claude Debussy, William Bolcom, and Henry Cowell capture the contrasting movements of goldfish, butterfly, and tiger. André Caplet sets fables by Jean de la Fontaine about conversations between crow and fox, grasshopper and ant, and lamb and wolf. Derek Bermel imagines what “piano music for animals” might sound like. Olivier Messiaen charts an entire day of bird calls from the wheatear to the goldfinch to the seagull. Ernest Chausson, Leoš Janáček, Benjamin Britten, Maurice Ravel, and Tom Cipullo consider human nature in relation to the hummingbird, vixen, fish, swan, and cricket.

Artists include mezzo-sopranos Carmen Edano and Sadie Habas, soprano Yekaterina Lynch, and pianist Alexandre Tchaykov.

Visit www.spectramusic.org/animal for the complete program and tickets.

June 20, 2026
Gates open at 5:30pm for picnicking
Concert begins at 7:30pm

Resident Pops Conductor Larry Blank kicks off the season with epic scores from Superman, E.T., Raiders of the Lost Arc and Star Wars, and a tribute to the late Marvin Hamlisch with “Nobody Does it Better,” “The Way We Were” and more Hollywood blockbusters for an unforgettable evening celebrating American film music.

Sometimes revolutions begin quietly.

In 1988 Cowboy Junkies proved that there was an audience waiting for something quiet, beautiful and reflective. The Trinity Session was like a whisper that cut through the noise—and it was compelling. It stood out in the midst of the flash and bombast that came to define the late ’80s. The now classic recording combined folk, blues, and rock in a way that had never been heard before and went on to sell more than a million copies.

Formed in Toronto in 1985 with siblings Michael Timmins on guitar, Margo Timmins on vocals, Peter Timmins on drums, and Michael’s lifelong friend Alan Anton on bass, the band has sparkled over the course of 29 albums. “I’ve known Alan longer than I’ve known Pete,” says Michael. “We were friends before Pete was born.”

Unlike most long-lasting groups, Cowboy Junkies have never had a break up or taken a sanity-saving hiatus. There’s an appreciation of each other that keeps them constantly working. “It’s that intimacy and understanding of what each one of us brings to the table,” says Michael.

$43-$83